The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (986 page)

When you saw Cassio leave my wife. Why did you not like it?

And when I told thee he was of my counsel

And when I told you he helped me

In my whole course of wooing, thou criedst 'Indeed!'

When I was courting Desdemona you cried out, “Really!”

And didst contract and purse thy brow together,

While you wrinkled your brow

As if thou then hadst shut up in thy brain

As if you had thought of some

Some horrible conceit: if thou dost love me,

Awful imagination. If you love me,

Show me thy thought.

Tell me what you thought.

IAGO

My lord, you know I love you.

My lord, you know I love you.

OTHELLO

I think thou dost;

I think you do,

And, for I know thou'rt full of love and honesty,

And I know that you are loving and honest,

And weigh'st thy words before thou givest them breath,

That you weigh your words carefully before you speak,

Therefore these stops of thine fright me the more:

So your pauses even more frighten me.

For such things in a false disloyal knave

In a disloyal liar,

Are tricks of custom, but in a man that's just

These are common tricks, but in a man who is just

They are close delations, working from the heart

They are indictments that work in the heart

That passion cannot rule.

And even passion cannot stop them.

IAGO

 For Michael Cassio,

As for Michael Cassio,

I dare be sworn I think that he is honest.

I swear that I think he is honest.

OTHELLO

I think so too.

I agree.

IAGO

Men should be what they seem;

Men should be what they look like they are,

Or those that be not, would they might seem none!

And those that are not honest should not seem honest!

OTHELLO

Certain, men should be what they seem.

Agreed, men should be in reality what they look like they are.

IAGO

Why, then, I think Cassio's an honest man.

Then I think Cassio is in reality an honest man.

OTHELLO

Nay, yet there's more in this:

No, there’s more to it than this.

I prithee, speak to me as to thy thinkings,

Please, tell me what you are thinking,

As thou dost ruminate, and give thy worst of thoughts

Whatever you are pondering, and say even your worst fears

The worst of words.

Clearly, in their awful content.

IAGO

Good my lord, pardon me:

My lord, please excuse me:

Though I am bound to every act of duty,

Though I will obey everything you ask,

I am not bound to that all slaves are free to.

I do not need to obey that which even slaves are not forced to do.

Utter my thoughts? Why, say they are vile and false;

Tell you my thoughts? What if they are awful and wrong,

As where's that palace whereinto foul things

Since there is no place where awful things

Sometimes intrude not? who has a breast so pure,

Might enter into, and similarly no one has a mind so pure

But some uncleanly apprehensions

That no unclean, dirty thoughts

Keep leets and law-days and in session sit

Sometimes come into it and mingle

With meditations lawful?

With their pure thoughts and meditaitons.

OTHELLO

Thou dost conspire against thy friend, Iago,

You are working against your own friend, Iago,

If thou but think'st him wrong'd and makest his ear

If you think he has been wronged and yet keep him

A stranger to thy thoughts.

Away from your thoughts.

IAGO

I do beseech you--

I beg you –

Though I perchance am vicious in my guess,

Since I am often too suspicious

As, I confess, it is my nature's plague

And, truly, it is a curse of my character

To spy into abuses, and oft my jealousy

That I imagine problems and often my imaginations

Shapes faults that are not--that your wisdom yet,

Create faults where there are none – that your mind,

From one that so imperfectly conceits,

From someone who inaccurately imagines,

Would take no notice, nor build yourself a trouble

Will not be troubled by me or

Out of his scattering and unsure observance.

What I have uncertainly and haphazardly observed.

It were not for your quiet nor your good,

It would harm your peace and your goodness,

Nor for my manhood, honesty, or wisdom,

And I would sooner give up my manhood, honesty, or intelligence

To let you know my thoughts.

Than tell you what I think.

OTHELLO

What dost thou mean?

What do you mean?

IAGO

Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,

A man and a woman’s reputation, my lord,

Is the immediate jewel of their souls:

Is the most worthy part of who they are:

Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;

If someone steals my money, they steal trash. It is something, and then nothing,

'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands:

It was mine and now it is his, and it has been owned by thousands before.

But he that filches from me my good name

But whoever steals my reputation

Robs me of that which not enriches him

Takes away something that does not help him

And makes me poor indeed.

But all the while truly hurts me.

OTHELLO

By heaven, I'll know thy thoughts.

By God, tell me what you think.

IAGO

You cannot, if my heart were in your hand;

You cannot know, not even if you held my heart,

Nor shall not, whilst 'tis in my custody.

Which you can’t since it is still in my body.

OTHELLO

Ha!

Ha!

IAGO

O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;

My lord, be careful not to fall into jealousy.

It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock

It is a green eyed monster who taunts

The meat it feeds on; that cuckold lives in bliss

Its victim. The man who is cheated on is happy

Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger;

If he knows he is being cheated on and does not love the other man.

But, O, what damned minutes tells he o'er

But O how horrible for the man

Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves!

Who loves, yet doubts his beloved and is suspicious, yet still loves!

OTHELLO

O misery!

What misery!

IAGO

Poor and content is rich and rich enough,

Being poor and happy is rich enough,

But riches fineless is as poor as winter

But he who is rich without measure is as poor as winter is

To him that ever fears he shall be poor.

If he fears that he will someday be poor.

Good heaven, the souls of all my tribe defend

Dear God, protect all of us

From jealousy!

For jealousy!

OTHELLO

Why, why is this?

Why do you say all of this?

Think'st thou I'ld make a lie of jealousy,

Do you think that I will become so jealous

To follow still the changes of the moon

That I will watch for the moon to change phases

With fresh suspicions? No; to be once in doubt

And get suspicious each time it does? No, if I became doubtful,

Is once to be resolved: exchange me for a goat,

I would then become resolved to end doubt. I would sooner be a goat

When I shall turn the business of my soul

Than spend my energy on

To such exsufflicate and blown surmises,

Such meaningless and trivial guesswork,

Matching thy inference. 'Tis not to make me jealous

Looking to infer what has happened. It will not make me jealous

To say my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company,

To hear that my wife is beautiful, cooks well, enjoys company,

Is free of speech, sings, plays and dances well;

Speaks freely, sings and has fun and dances well – 

Where virtue is, these are more virtuous:

These are only great things, and she is great.

Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw

I will not overcompensate for my weakness by creating

The smallest fear or doubt of her revolt;

A fear or doubt of her leaving me.

For she had eyes, and chose me. No, Iago;

She had eyes and was not tricked, and she still chose me. No, Iago,

I'll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove;

I would look before I begin to doubt, and then if I were to doubt, I would find proof,

And on the proof, there is no more but this,--

And as for proof, there is nothing –

Away at once with love or jealousy!

So my love will do away with jealousy!

IAGO

I am glad of it; for now I shall have reason

I am glad, because now I have reason

To show the love and duty that I bear you

To love you and obey your requests

With franker spirit: therefore, as I am bound,

With a more honest spirit. Therefore, since you have asked,

Receive it from me. I speak not yet of proof.

I will tell you. I do not have proof of anything.

Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio;

Look at your wife, and look at her when she is with Cassio.

Wear your eye thus, not jealous nor secure:

Behave like this, carefully, but neither jealous nor unaware.

I would not have your free and noble nature,

I would not want your noble and trusting character

Out of self-bounty, be abused; look to't:

From someone else’s gain, be taken advantage of. So be wary.

I know our country disposition well;

I know the people of our county well  –

In Venice they do let heaven see the pranks

In Venice, they let God see their sins,

They dare not show their husbands; their best conscience

But they never show these sins to their husbands. They think it is best

Is not to leave't undone, but keep't unknown.

When they can sin, but keep it unknown to everyone.

OTHELLO

Dost thou say so?

Do you really think so?

IAGO

She did deceive her father, marrying you;

She already tricked her father by marrying you,

And when she seem'd to shake and fear your looks,

And she acted scared about your appearance

She loved them most.

Even though she loved it most.

OTHELLO